Dissociative Disorders

Question 1

Describe the difference between psychogenic amnesia and a psychogenic fugue

Answer 1

• Psychogenic amnesia: the sudden inability to recall certain events in one’s life
• Psychogenic fugue: characterized by the individual’s leaving home and being unable to recall his or her identity or past

Question 2

What is a multiple personality disorder?

Answer 2

The presence of two or more distinct personalities within an individual; the personalities emerge during stress

Question 3

List three possible causes of psychogenic amnesia

Answer 3

• A traumatic event such as a threat of death or injury
• An intolerable life situation
• A natural disaster

Question 4

Describe depersonalization disorder

Answer 4

A temporary loss of one’s reality; a loss of the ability to feel and express emotions; a sense of “strangeness” in the surrounding environment; individuals with this disorder express a fear of “going crazy”